Rope Ball Exercises for Developing KO Power

If you want to develop knockout power with your strikes, then the first thing you need to do is learn the proper technique. It’s not about slugging your opponent, it’s about the snap. Nobody teaches this better than my man Jeff Joslin.

Once you have your technique down, then it’s about training specific exercises that will allow you to maximize your skills. But most traditional gym exercises like bench press leave out a key component for developing KO power, which is improving your power in the transverse (rotational) plane.

Striking power comes from rotating the legs/hips/core into the punch, and finishing with the fist. That’s where rope ball exercises come in. You’ll not only specifically target the transverse plane, but you’ll also train that ‘snap’ that is necessary for KO power. Medicine ball throws are good as well, but the rope ball is what you need to really take it up a level. Check out two of my favourite exercises in this video:

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Leave A Reply (5 comments So Far)

  1. Exercise balls are great to get in shape with. Thank you for sharing your knowledege. Here’s hoping that they continue to gain in popularity as we all try to lose weight and get in shape!


  2. Mike

    Hey eric i love posts like this these exersises really help with my muay thai explosiveness. do you think you can send me a link or something to the endurance circuit ken is talking about because that is something i can use


  3. Ken

    Hi there again Eric, just wondering what amount of reps, sets and rest should you have when doing this exercise and how long should i combine it with heavy bag punching when using the striking endurance circuit you gave me. Many thanks

    Eric Reply:

    Try this progression 2x/week:

    (Format = reps x rope ball/heavybag – rest)

    Week 1: 6 reps x 15/15 – 1.5-2 mins
    Week 2: 8 reps x 15/15 – 1.5-2 mins
    Week 3: 4 reps x 15/15/15/15 (switch each interval) – 2-3 mins
    Week 4: 6 reps x 15/15/15/15 – 1-2 mins

    Let me know how you feel after!

    Ken Reply:

    Will do Eric. Thanks again


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